The Los Angeles Lakers remain the top story in the NBA as regular season play gets underway, thanks to the latest Kobe Bryant drama.
Will he or will he not be traded? There’s never a dull moment with the reigning diva of the NBA in Tinsletown.
Despite all the distractions, the Lakers are playing some pretty good basketball in the first week of the season. After dropping their first game to Houston, the Lakers went to Phoenix and handed the Suns quite a beat-down. Then, they returned home to whip the Utah Jazz, who were a Western Conference finalist last season.
Despite all of the drama, Kobe is still getting it done on the court. He is still the best guard in the league.
However, the unknown factor in all of this is the presence of veteran guard Derek Fisher, who is back in a Lakers uniform after spending the past three seasons with Golden State and Utah. There were some big-time transactions during the off-season, such as Kevin Garnett to Boston and Rashad Lewis to Orlando. But, Fisher’s return to Los Angeles from Utah was quietly one of the best moves made of the summer.
Fisher was an unsung hero during the Lakers’ three-year championship run from 2000-02. Wherever he goes, he brings veteran leadership and stability, not to mention his backcourt production. After 11 years in the league, Fisher remains the consummate professional. He’s the pro’s pro.
In the Lakers’ first three games, Fisher was averaging 16.7 points a game while shooting 55 percent from the field. He was seven of nine from the field at Phoenix and six of nine from the field in his 19-point performance against the Jazz.
What is most important of all, Fisher always seems to bring a certain calmness to wherever he is playing, which is of the utmost importance in Los Angeles. In the heat of the Kobe-Shaq feud, Fisher was always the Lakers’ go-to guy with the media as he emerged as the team’s spokesmen throughout the turmoil. Lakers fans will never forget his turnaround jumper at the buzzer that gave the Lakers a one-point victory over San Antonio in Game 5 of the 2004 Western Conference semifinals.
Jazz fans will never forget what Fisher did last year on the night of Game 2 of their Western Conference playoff series with upset-minded Golden State. After spending the entire day in New York with doctors who were treating his ailing baby daughter, Fisher caught a plane back to Utah. Arriving at the game in the middle of the third quarter, Fisher hit two key 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to lead the Jazz to a big victory.
Other NBA Notes:
* Shaquille O’Neal looks about 67 years old out there.
* Kevin Garnett had 22 points and 20 rebounds in his regular-season debut as a Boston Celtics.
* The San Antonio Spurs are still the team to beat in the NBA.
* Cleveland Cavaliers reserve center Anderson Verejao is holding out and demanding more than $10 million a year. He averaged six points a game last year and led the league in flopping. I’d say that’s worth $10 million.
* I hope my Washington Wizards can win a game soon.
* The Indiana Pacers are out of the gate quickly. Who can name any Pacer player other than Jermaine O’Neal?